{"id":22538,"date":"2023-02-16T12:59:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T17:59:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/crisisassistance.org\/?p=22538"},"modified":"2023-02-16T13:00:04","modified_gmt":"2023-02-16T18:00:04","slug":"put-yourself-in-someone-elses-shoes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crisisassistance.org\/2023\/02\/16\/put-yourself-in-someone-elses-shoes\/","title":{"rendered":"Put Yourself in Someone Else’s Shoes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY NOAH HOWELL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m stressed and overwhelmed as I prepare to clock out of work for the week. Next month\u2019s rent is due in only a couple of days, but I\u2019m behind on my utility payments and still need to buy groceries for the coming week. The good news? It\u2019s payday. The bad news? My $350 weekly paycheck isn\u2019t nearly enough to cover all my expenses, even with my husband\u2019s monthly disability check \u2014 our only other source of income. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With two kids to care for, aged 7 and 9, there is a zero percent chance my family can pay these bills on time. Should I fall behind on rent payments and risk eviction? Should I ignore the electric bill and risk the power being cut off? How will I be able to afford groceries for the coming week? All of these questions spiraled through my mind as I came to a harrowing conclusion: my family and I could likely end up homeless very soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, I heard a whistle blow, and a hush fell over the room. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was over.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past hour, I\u2019d participated in the Missouri Community Action Network<\/a>\u2019s poverty simulation, facilitated by Crisis Assistance Ministry<\/a>. The simulation takes you through a simulated month in the lives of people living in poverty<\/a>, split up into four 15-minute segments, each segment representing one week. I took on the identity of Zola Zuppot, a fictional 53-year-old woman whose experiences and circumstances were drawn from the real-life experiences of someone experiencing poverty. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zola, whose husband is disabled and confined to their home, became the legal guardian of her two grandchildren after her daughter was incarcerated. The children\u2019s father was not in the picture; therefore, the brunt of this responsibility fell on Zola. Between Zola\u2019s low-paying job and her husband\u2019s monthly disability checks, the household of four had just over $2,000\/month to live on, putting the family below the Federal Poverty Line<\/a> ($30,000\/year for a household of four). With not enough household income, it\u2019s no surprise that I was unable to make ends meet and pay all my expenses; I ended the simulation with less than half of what I needed to pay rent for the next month.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n